Review Clevo P170SM-A (One K73-4N) Barebones Notebook

Processor

We again ordered the Core i7-4800MQ processor that is positioned between the i7-4700MQ (2.4 - 3.4 GHz) and the i7-4900MQ (2.8 - 3.8 GHz) with a clock of 2.7 - 3.7 GHz.

A TDP of 47 Watts and six MB of L3 cache are typical for an Intel quad-core. All models available in the Configurator are based on the Haswell architecture, and are built in the 22 nm process. Similarities are also found on the feature list. For example, all CPUs can increase the amount of simultaneous threads via Hyperthreading.

The installed HD Graphics 4600 DirectX 11 chip should also be mentioned. Since the P170SM(-A) barebones supports both the Optimus and Enduro technology, the dedicated graphics accelerator is only enabled during computing intensive programs. The HD Graphics 4600 directly processes basic tasks in the Office, Web or video sector.

Note: The Core i7-4800MQ was replaced by the 100 MHz faster Core i7-4810MQ shortly after the test.

Nvidia has caused some confusion with its new graphics card generation. The GTX 850M and GTX 860M (almost always) rely on the very promising Maxwell architecture, while only the clock rates have been increased, and a few new features added to the GTX 880M (Kepler).

It is a bit better with the GTX 870M. Compared with the GTX 770M, not only does it have a higher clock (941/2500 vs. 811/2000 MHz), it also has a higher shader unit count. The GTX 870M offers 1344 arithmetic units rather than 960 CUDA cores, which corresponds to the level of the GTX 680M. Other modifications are found in the memory. It is possible to argue about how much sense six GB of GDDR5 RAM makes. We believe three GB, like in the GTX 770M, would have easily sufficed, especially since the memory interface (192-bit) has not been increased.

Nvidia uses the so-called GPU Boost as the counterpart to Intel's Turbo Boost. The GTX 870M's core is accelerated up to 967 MHz during load. The current GeForce GTX 880M top model (1536 CUDA cores, 8 GB of GDDR5 VRAM @256-bit) clocks with a maximum of 993 MHz. The Maxwell version of the GTX 860M even surpasses the magical 1 GHz limit. However, no matter whether Maxwell or Kepler: They are both build in the 28 nm process.

All following benchmarks were performed based on the ForceWare 332.35.

A solid-state drive with a storage capacity of 500 GB is not exactly cheap, but it offers enough space for the user's personal game collection and other programs.

Our review sample could boast with the Samsung 840 EVO. That the 2.5-inch model belongs to the fastest of its kind is not least proved by the AS SSD benchmark. Its speed has increased considerably compared with the 840 Basic that was installed in the One K73-3N about a year ago.

Particularly big differences are revealed in sequential write. The 500 GB version of the 840 EVO achieved almost 490 rather than 320 MB/s, which equals a plus of 53%. The Crucial M500 mSATA model (Schenker XMG P704) does not achieve over 400 MB/s either. The 840 EVO also copes better with compact files than most contenders.

Buyers who want to save a bit of money, but not storage capacity, should combine a small solid-state drive with a high-capacity HDD.

Gamers are dead right with the K73-4N. Excluding extremely hardware-hungry games, such as Crysis 3, Far Cry 3, and Hitman Absolution, the GeForce GTX 870M even copes with very high details and multiple anti-aliasing without complaint. For example, Battlefield 4 ran with just under 36 fps even in ultra presets (at least in our test sequence). Other triple-A productions like Call of Duty: Ghosts, Tomb Raider, and GRID 2 can also be played in their full graphic splendor.

The temperatures on the casing's surfaces are quite low. An average of 27 °C (80.6 °F) in idle mode, and 34 °C (93.2 °F) during full load are more than acceptable. The K73-4N presents an agreeable temperature even in the fan area that gets very hot in some laptops. The wrist rest does not even surpass 30 °C (86 °F).

Now a look at the components, which have to cope with higher temperatures, as usual. A longer stress test using the tools FurMark and Prime95 pushed both the processor and the GPU to a temperature of approximately 90 °C (194 °F). As soon as this rate was achieved, the fan sped up to its maximum and the hardware cooled down a bit. The Core i7-4800MQ and GeForce GTX 870M settled to 80 - 85 °C (176 - 185 °F) after almost an hour. CPU throttling did not occur during the stress test.

Since Clevo installs an 8-cell battery with 77 Wh in the high-end chassis, the runtimes of the P-series do not vary greatly, regardless whether it is the P150SM or P177SM-A.

A maximum of 4 - 5 hours is possible at 0% brightness and when idling. If gaming, users can expect 1 - 2 hours of 3D operation with 100% brightness. The laptop lasts for roughly 3 - 4 hours without its power supply when browsing the Internet via Wi-Fi (medium brightness).

Although we find it a bit too bad that the barebones manufacturer Clevo barely modified the casing, the One K73-4N is impressive.

Besides the video and audio quality, which is not worthy of reference yet mostly satisfactory, we particularly like the backlit keyboard and moderate temperatures; not to mention the easy maintenance. Not every contender provides the option of using up to four storage devices. Two DisplayPorts, three USB 3.0 ports, and four audio jacks also give the 17-inch laptop the charm of a desktop replacement.

The GeForce GTX 870M proves to be the perfect and still fairly attractively priced gaming companion. How fast would the graphics card be if it were based on Maxwell?

Regardless of that, the P170SM-A barebones struggles with a few old drawbacks. The heavy power supply, thick build, second-rate touchpad - there is definitely still room for improvement. Our main point of criticism is, however, the noise. Clevo just does not manage to keep its laptops quiet during load. Of course, a "whisper-quiet" fan should not be expected from such a strong system. Nevertheless, approximately 50 dB(A) in gaming operation is a bit too much.

Users who can live with these shortcomings can eagerly jump into the configuration list.